As poker has become an internationally recognized game there has been growing interest in developing a set of official rules that would be used worldwide to avoid the inevitable misunderstandings and disputes that occur. One such set of rules has been drafted by the FIDPA and is available for free download on their website.
A hand of cards comprises five cards and is valued in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency, with a straight being more frequent than any other card. The value of a poker hand may be increased by bluffing, in which a player pretends to have a superior hand when they do not.
The rules of a particular poker variant may require that each player contribute an initial contribution, called the ante, before the cards are dealt. The ante amount may vary from one game to another, as well as the rules concerning the addition of wild cards (if any) and the maximum number of chips that may be wagered in each betting interval.
Depending on the game, players are generally allowed to make one or more actions during each betting interval, which are usually defined as a “call,” a “fold,” or a “raise.” A player’s choice of action may be influenced by their previous hands or other factors.
A kitty may be established, in which low-denomination chips are collected from each pot in which there is more than one raise. The kitty belongs to the players, who use it to pay for new decks of cards and other expenses associated with the game. If a player leaves a poker game before it ends, they forfeit their share of the kitty.
